Coronado organized National See You at the Pole Day at Vale Middle School. Since 1990, the grassroots movement has spread across the country. Every September, students voluntarily meet at their school's flag pole in praise and prayer.
Two dozen students is what Coronado expected to join him. But the clock kept ticking. It was just him, his paperback Bible and his yellow sign with "awaken" in black letters.
His mother, Melodee Gutierrez, sat in the family van, filled with hope for her son. Even though he stood alone at the flag pole, she was proud of him.
"You know, whenever you take your stand in God, even if you stand alone, you're being faithful to God," Gutierrez said.
Suddenly, one girl meandered over and grabbed the middle schooler's sign. The relief was evident on his face. The faith grew in his heart. "It felt weird kinda, but I just prayed that God would bring me more people. And he did," he said.
He and the girl began to pray. The two of them asked God to look over their school, their classmates, the school's staff, local government officials, San Antonio's mayor, the president of the United States and much more.
They stood at the pole as a line of cars flooded onto the school grounds. His mother's pride continued to grow. She stood in his shoes when she was a middle school student.
Gutierrez recalls being in front of the flag pole waiting for someone to join her in prayer. No one ever did. "I got discouraged a little bit, " she admitted. "But God is faithful, and I stood there and prayed." Things were beginning to look up for her son. Five others walked across to join him. He started to pray with them.
Coronado walked away happy. His praying, he said, will continue because at the pole on Wednesday, he saw first hand that prayers are answered. -San Antonio News 5, September 26, 2012, Marvin Hurst
After coming across this story, the first thing that came to mind was Romans 5:1 "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Similarly, I thought about Isaiah 48:22 "There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked." Let's talk a little about faith and what it means to you and I.
An unpardoned sinner cannot have peace with God. While his conscience is asleep, he may be careless and secure; but as soon as his eyes are opened, and his heart is made to feel, he must be miserable, till God speaks peace to his guilty soul.
To be justified, is to be pardoned and accepted of God. Pardon and acceptance are only obtained by faith in Jesus Christ, as having atoned for sin by His precious blood. When it is given me to believe that Jesus Christ has taken away my sins, there isn't anything that can grieve my conscience; I have peace with God. The anguish of an awakened soul arises from a guilty conscience, and a sense of his sins.
Therefore, as soon as the quivering sinner discovers, that Christ died for such as he is; that Christ, being God, is able to save even the worst sinner; that this was his main mission here, and that He said, "him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37): as soon as the poor sinner believes this, he has peace with God; he can call God his Father; he can trust God for everything; he can think of death with comfort, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Is this your predicament? Do you know that there is no salvation without an interest in Christ? That there is no peace with God but through Jesus Christ? That unless your sins are pardoned, your life must be unhappy, and your death the entrance of eternal misery?
If I am looking unto Jesus as the only Savior, and in self-despair have made tracks to Him for refuge, then God is no longer angry with me; my sins, which are many, are forgiven; my person is accepted; and if I die tonight, I shall go to God.
What an awesome feeling, to have nothing to fear in life or death! To have God for our Father, Christ for our Redeemer, the Holy Ghost for our Comforter, death our friend, heaven our home, and a happy eternity before us of peace and joy. Dear reader, is this your case?
Scripture: Romans 10:17; Luke 17:6; John 14:12; James 1:3; Hebrews 12:2; Hebrews 10:22; Galatians 5:5; Ephesians 6:16; Ephesians 2:8; 2 Corinthians 1:24; 1 Thessalonians 3:7
Prayer: God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant me so to die daily to sin, that I may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
Have a blessed day,
Kayla
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